1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and, more specifically, relates to a conversion valve for an upright vacuum cleaner.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
The use of conversion valve arrangements in upright vacuum cleaners is old and well known. Their use is also known where provision is made for lifting of the cleaner's rotating agitator off its cleaning surface during conversion. Automatic cleaner conversion is also known to be occasioned by movement of the cleaner handle to an upright stored position, with this movement driving the conversion valve to converted hose operating position. At least one prior art cleaner having this feature also includes automatic height adjustment of the cleaner nozzle to remove the agitator from the surface to be cleaned.
However, deliberate manual actuation of a cleaner conversion valve by an operating knob or the like is obviously also desirable. But this manual actuation of the valve should be accomplished only along with necessary height adjustment of the nozzle. One way of accomplishing these two requirements is the use of a manually actuated converter valve which is latched in converted position, normally by prior situation of the cleaner handle in an upright, stored position. This position of the handle, as is old in the art, also raises the cleaner agitator from engagement with the surface being cleaned.
According, it is an object of the invention to provide a cleaner in which the movement of the cleaner handle to an upright storage position provides for setting of the latching means for a conversion valve when moved to its converted position.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide an improved manually actuated conversion valve for use with an upright cleaner.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a latching arrangement operative between the handle and conversion valve with an override permitting the conversion valve to be placed in the on the floor, agitator mode after latched positioning of it in the off the floor, hose mode.
It is an even additional object of the invention to provide a latch arrangement operative between the handle and conversion valve for latching the valve in an off the floor, hose mode when the cleaner handle is moved later to its operating position.
It is an even further object of the invention to provide an improved cleaner conversion valve and latching arrangement in an upright cleaner.